Previews

Pokemon Ranger: The Road to Diamond and Pearl

Spiffy:

Interesting combat engine; useful second screen options.

Iffy:

Might be a little on the short side for some players.

For the past year and a half, Nintendo fans have been clamoring for a new Pokemon game for their Nintendo DS. Sure, Pokemon Dash was a Japanese launch title for the system, but that's not what most fans would call a proper Pokemon game. So after a long wait, we finally get a full-blown Pokemon title, entitled Pokemon Ranger. But it's not the traditional turn-based RPG that many have come to know and love. Instead, it's a fast-paced action RPG that utilizes the abilities of the DS to its fullest.

Pokemon Ranger is a mission-based game, where you assume the role of a Ranger, a Pokemon trainer whose mission in life is to help those in desperate need. As you progress through the game, you'll be assigned various missions designed to help the citizens of the world. For example, in one mission you'll have to locate a lost Pokemon for its worried owner, while in another you'll help the city out by capturing some delinquent Pokemon. Although you can use the face buttons and directional button to maneuver your Ranger, the game can be fully played with just the stylus. Taking a cue from Blizzard's Diablo series, you can move your character around by simply touching and holding on the spot where you want them to go. Talking to NPCs, selecting Pokemon, and navigating the menu are all done by using the touch screen.

At the beginning of the game, you can have a group of up to four Pokemon, all of which help you in battle. Capturing Pokemon is done by using the touch screen to create barriers around an enemy Pokemon, which will deplete its energy. Once you have gotten it down to a certain level, it'll be ready for capture. This is actually harder than it sounds, as stronger Pokemon have attacks that can break through your barriers. Also, if a Pokemon touches your barrier before you complete it, then you'll have to start the process over again. While capturing Pokemon early in the game is rather easy, it becomes incredibly hard to do it when you're up against some of the more powerful creatures. Every Pokemon has a different attack pattern that can dissolve your barrier and deal damage to your Ranger, so you can't mindlessly scratch on the screen, hoping for an easy win.

Like we said before, your Pokemon can help you by modifying your attacks to suit the situation. A leaf-based Pokemon, for example, will turn your barriers into grass, which are impenetrable. Other Pokemon will otherwise incapacitate your target, making it easier to capture them. Your main Pokemon (which depends on the character that you choose at the beginning of the game) can also perform a special attack when its attack gauge is full.

Outside of battles, your Pokemon are also valuable. When faced with an obstacle or anything that impedes your progress, your Pokemon can use their abilities to take care of the situation. There are several different abilities that you have at your disposal. Physical abilities can take care of roadblocks, while water abilities can extinguish fires. You'll need to use all of these abilities to get through the game. The drawback to using these Pokemon is that they can only be used once, and then they're set free into the wilderness.

While the use of the touch screen is a step in a different direction than what we're used to seeing in traditional Pokemon games, it's a rather simple and easy-to-understand system that's suitable for its target audience. Battles are all about capturing Pokemon as fast as possible, and although the various abilities you can use in the game can make things less of a headache, it's entirely possible to defeat most of your enemies without them. The mission-based structure of the game makes playing easier, especially when you're on the train to work. You can simply finish off a couple of missions, turn off the game and head out the door in a matter of minutes. The game also features a quick-save feature if you're pressed for time.